Virginia's Best Lakes and Waterfronts

Virginia's waterfronts include the Chesapeake Bay's tidal rivers, Virginia Beach's Atlantic coast, Shenandoah's river corridor, and the Smith Mountain Lake resort in the Piedmont.

Virginia Beach (Atlantic Ocean)
Virginia's longest developed ocean beach — 35+ miles of ocean-facing beach, with the Virginia Beach Boardwalk (3 miles, one of the longest oceanfront boardwalks in the US), the First Landing State Park beach on the Chesapeake Bay side, and the protected Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge to the south. Virginia Beach is among the top 5 most-visited beach destinations in the US.

Chesapeake Bay (Hampton Roads)
The largest estuary in the US — the Chesapeake Bay gives Virginia 1,700 miles of tidal shoreline (including islands, inlets, and tributaries). The Bay's oyster, crab, and fish culture (Chesapeake blue crab, Virginia oysters) is among the most significant in the world. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (23 miles — one of the longest bridge-tunnel complexes in the world) connects the Virginia Beach area to the Eastern Shore.

Smith Mountain Lake (Roanoke area)
The finest inland lake resort in Virginia — a 20,600-acre reservoir on the Roanoke River in the Blue Ridge foothills. Smith Mountain Lake State Park and numerous marinas, restaurants, and lakeside communities make this the Roanoke metro's primary summer recreation destination.

Shenandoah River
The South Fork Shenandoah between Front Royal and Luray — one of the finest flat-water canoe and kayak rivers in the mid-Atlantic. The river meanders through Shenandoah Valley farmland below the Blue Ridge, with excellent fishing for smallmouth bass. Tubing and kayaking outfitters are concentrated in Luray and Bentonville.

Lake Anna (Spotsylvania County)
A 13,000-acre reservoir divided between a "cold side" (public recreation) and a "hot side" (the intake and discharge of North Anna Nuclear Generating Station — warm water from the plant makes this side excellent for fishing year-round). The warm-water fishing for striped bass is exceptional.